His unease deepened, though he could not say why. It was not as if he preferred that she should be on the street, was it? She ought to be at the home of the Mrs. Bennet’s sister. He turned his horse sharply and directed it toward High Street, scanning the bustling crowd with increasing agitation.
The Philips house stood comfortably on the corner, its windows flung open to the early summer air. As Darcy dismounted and strode up the steps, the door was already opening to reveal Mrs. Philips herself, her expression shifting from mild surprise to sheer delight.
“Mr. Darcy! How very unexpected! We were just speaking of you.”
Darcy bowed stiffly, his pulse hammering. “Mrs. Philips, Mr. Bennet sent me to escort your nieces back to Longbourn. I was told they were here.”
“Oh! Well, how very neighborly of you to inquire.” She laughed, pressing a hand to her chest as if flattered by the attention. “But I am afraid you have been misinformed. My nieces have not been here at all today.”
Darcy’s stomach twisted. “You are quite certain?”
“Oh yes, quite. I have been in all morning, and had they called, I should not have failed to remark upon it.” She peered at him curiously, her brow creasing. “Is something amiss, sir? Some emergency at Longbourn?”
Darcy forced a tight smile. “Not at all. It was only a… convenience of the moment, ma’am.”
She did not look convinced. “You have been much away from Hertfordshire, have you not? I heard only yesterday that you were still in London.”
“Yes,” he said curtly.
“And Mr. Bingley was to come to Sir William’s for dinner this week. I expect you shall come with him? Oh, but we have all been most curious about you both. Will you be staying longer this time?”
“I cannot say.”
Mrs. Philips tutted, shaking her head with a knowing smile. “Well, I am sure the young ladies will be delighted by your return, particularly sweet Lydia. She is always so lively and delightful in company, would you not agree?”
Darcy barely heard her. His mind was whirring too quickly, his frustration mounting. He tipped his hat as soon as her good graces would allow, then mounted again and turned his horse toward the home of the Lucases. Elizabeth had come to town with a Bennet sister, so they might have stopped to pay a call on Maria Lucas, one of their particular friends.
It was Sir William himself who came to the door, beaming as always. “Mr. Darcy! What a surprise. A fine day, is it not?”
Darcy did not waste time. “I am looking for Miss Bennet. Has she been here?”
Sir William’s brow furrowed. “Miss Bennet?”
“Yes,” Darcy said, struggling to temper his impatience. “MissElizabethBennet.”
Understanding dawned, and Sir William let out a hearty chuckle. “Ah, I see! My dear Maria did say she had hoped to see the young ladies in town today, but alas, I do not believe they have met.”
Darcy barely muttered a farewell before wheeling his horse back toward the town. The moment Sir William’s cheerful voice faded behind him, the world seemed to sharpen—every sound, every movement, every face in Meryton now a potential clue.
He guided his horse back onto the high street, his gaze darting to the usual gathering places—the haberdasher, the bookseller, the confectioner’s, all the places where ladies might while away an hour in pleasant distraction. He scrutinized every feminine figure, every dark head in the crowd.
No sign of her.
Damnation.
Jaw clenched, he dismounted and strode into the post office. A line of customers shuffled forward, an elderly gentleman peering at his letter through thick spectacles, a shop boy balancing a parcel on his hip. The clerk behind the counter—a wiry man with an ink-stained cuff—looked up at Darcy’s approach.
“Ah, sir. How may I assist you?”
Darcy set his gloves on the counter. “I am seeking the Bennet ladies… at the request of their father. They were meant to be in town today.”
The man blinked, his gaze flickering toward the queue behind Darcy before offering a polite smile. “Goodness me! Something amiss at Longbourn, sir?”
Darcy closed his eyes. He ought to have known his request sounded suspicious, but dash it all, he needed answers. “Nothing important, sir. I was to escort the ladies home, preferably sooner rather than later.”
The man hesitated, shifting uncomfortably as he looked at the people waiting behind Darcy once more. “Ah, well. I do recall a cluster of young ladies standing outside the window earlier, but I did not examine their faces.”
That was useless. Darcy exhaled sharply, turning on his heel and striding back into the street.
